505: “I Presented the Amiga Chipset to Atari… and Everyone Freaked Out!” - Atari's Matt Householder - The Retro Hour Podcast EP505
From hating Pong to working for Atari, this week we chat with Matt Householder. From his early days at Gaming Devices Inc. and designing the arcade classic Krull, through to joining Atari right after the video game crash and witnessing the dramatic Amiga chipset saga from the inside. Matt reveals what it was really like working under Jack Tramiel, converting GEM for the Atari ST in record time, and why developers had to sell snacks from their desks just to survive. He then takes us into the golden years at Epyx, creating World Games and the smash hit California Games, before moving on to 3DO, where a secret project he managed ended up helping fund Diablo.
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
54:26 - Matt Householder Interview
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Show notes
Solid Aluminium Xbox Prototype Actually Works: https://youtu.be/0OMP8JvGWNY
Lost Destruction Derby 2 Saturn Prototype Unearthed: https://tinyurl.com/5c75zhxa
James Pond Makes a Comeback on Modern Consoles: https://tinyurl.com/2s4j38wd
Castlevania Amiga Remake Gets CD32 Upgrade: https://tinyurl.com/47624rsa
Castlevania Comes to the Atari 2600 (!): https://tinyurl.com/2k5ub8f5
Sonic Finally Lands on the GX4000: https://tinyurl.com/bdm5svj2
Worms Turns 30 – Team17’s Classic Celebrated: https://tinyurl.com/mrvtutnc
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1:56:47
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1:56:47
504: “I’d Never Even Seen a Computer Until I Worked at Sierra!” – Mark Crowe on Space Quest - The Retro Hour Podcast EP504
This week we're joined by Sierra legend Mark Crowe, co-creator of the Space Quest series and one half of the iconic Two Guys from Andromeda. Mark reveals how he went from never touching a computer to helping define the golden age of adventure gaming, working alongside Roberta Williams, Disney, and a hapless space janitor named Roger Wilco. Plus, we hear about the long-awaited reunion that brought Space Venture to life.
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
58:10 - Mark Crowe Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
London Gaming Market: https://www.londongamingmarket.com/
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
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Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
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Show notes
Sugar Ghouls: https://tinyurl.com/4kjjxvw2
Amiga Addict Amiga Format issue: https://tinyurl.com/53vsfmtd
The A1200: https://tinyurl.com/538trdxx
MD Engine: https://tinyurl.com/yea8r8fn
New Barcode Battler cards: https://tinyurl.com/y33362mk
Intellivision Amico prototype sold: https://tinyurl.com/9ze43yf8
Deep Sea Horror Shooter Inspired By Star Fox 64: https://tinyurl.com/ymn9je3r
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1:40:21
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1:40:21
503: “The Demo Scene Taught Us to Do the Impossible” – Erik Simon of Thalion - The Retro Hour EP503
This week's show features Erik Simon, co-founder of the legendary Thalion Software, the minds behind Lionheart, Ambermoon, and No Second Prize. Erik shares hilarious and jaw-dropping tales from the golden age of Amiga development, how the demo scene shaped Thalion’s “make the impossible happen” ethos, why Lionheart used every Amiga graphics mode. Recorded live at Amiga 40 in Germany.
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
46:59 - Erik Simon Interview
Amiga Report Archive: https://bigbookofamigahardware.com/amigareport/
This Week In Retro: https://www.rmcretro.com/this-week-in-retro
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Cardiff Gaming Market: https://www.cardiffgamingmarket.com/
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
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Website: http://theretrohour.com
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Show notes
This ‘In The Hunt’ Tech Demo Shows What the 16-Bit Generation Lost: https://tinyurl.com/mw94hsup
Cambridge University Rescues Data from Old Floppy Disks: https://tinyurl.com/yc6tse6u
Vampire’s Veil – A New Castlevania-Inspired Indie: https://tinyurl.com/ycx3n3zh
Ymir Emulator Hits 90% Sega Saturn Compatibility: https://tinyurl.com/3a9c6z23
Fear Effect Returns with New Features: https://tinyurl.com/mttcdftj
Bubble Bobble Remastered for C64: https://tinyurl.com/5ftruknf
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1:12:45
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1:12:45
502: “From Modems to Headlines” – Jason Compton on the Amiga Report Revolution - The Retro Hour EP502
This week, we’re joined by former Amiga Report editor, writer, and This Week in Retro host Jason Compton, who takes us into the golden age of 90s computing news. From chasing stories during Commodore’s dramatic collapse (“we may not make more chips, but we can sell the floor scrubber!”) to the birth of one of the first online tech magazines, Jason recalls the chaos, creativity and sheer enthusiasm that kept the Amiga community alive long after the headlines faded.
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
50:34 - Jason Compton Interview
Amiga Report Archive: https://bigbookofamigahardware.com/amigareport/
This Week In Retro: https://www.rmcretro.com/this-week-in-retro
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Cardiff Gaming Market: https://www.cardiffgamingmarket.com/
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
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Show notes
New Atari Jaguar 3D shooter announced: https://tinyurl.com/yc2adedu
Street Racer retro collection coming to Steam: https://tinyurl.com/ta65wv33
deadmau5 teams with Atari for new 7800 game: https://tinyurl.com/9tjfdftb
NightVein gothic run-and-gun for Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/3jd9j4tk
Flashback unofficially ported to Sega Saturn: https://tinyurl.com/4psmpxtf
The Old Blue Workbench: https://triumph.no/oldblue/
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1:54:00
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1:54:00
501: “Michael Jackson Just Said ‘Okay, I’ll Do It All’” – SEGA's Roger Hector Tells the Inside Story of Sonic 3
For years, it’s been one of gaming’s biggest urban legends, how much did Michael Jackson really work on the music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3? In part two of our exclusive chat with Roger Hector, former Director of the Sega Technical Institute, we get the full story. Roger reveals how Jackson’s unexpected visit to STI turned into hands-on involvement with Sonic 3’s soundtrack. Plus, we explore Roger’s time leading the legendary Sonic team, the cross-cultural chaos of 1990s Sega, and the pressure of delivering a new Sonic game every Christmas.
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
42:20 - Roger Hector Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Cardiff Gaming Market: https://www.cardiffgamingmarket.com/
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
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Show notes
Blood – Nightdive Studios: https://tinyurl.com/3kmam6e8
Lego Game Boy Modded: https://tinyurl.com/5fnjxb4p
Kraken ZX Multiclone: https://tinyurl.com/pbukjp
Unofficial GBA Port of an SNES Horror Classic: https://tinyurl.com/mspschwa
Sega Saturn Tomb Raider 2: https://tinyurl.com/y5m77rsc
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